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World Refugee Day - 20 June

Imagine you are forced to flee the place you call home, driven out because of the colour of your skin, your religion or something else that defines you. You might have the freedom to move but what about the freedom to stay? To highlight the plight of millions of people who are faced with this question, and to promote their need for protection the UN General Assembly decided that from 2001, June 20 should be celebrated as World Refugee Day. The date 20 June was chosen as it was already celebrated as African Refugee Day in many countries.

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Photo: A young girl holds a smiling infant at the Zaatari Refugee Camp, located near Mafraq, Jordan. The settlement has grown to house nearly 80,000 Syrian refugees since it opened in 2012. March 2016. Al Mafraq, Jordan. UN Photo/Mark Garten